Written by Luis ​Dickson, IGA Regional Director for South AmericaInstituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agrícolas - Venezuela

The traditional breeding of goats began in Venezuela a few decades after the colonization by the Spaniards and has survived without many changes since then. The animal used is the Criollo, a very resistant animal that evolved from a mixture of Spanish, African and Canarian breeds introduced more than 200 years ago and that is adapted to the rough semiarid conditions of Venezuela. Breeders also use a very prolific mixture of crosses of Criollo and more recent introduced breeds like French Alpine, Anglo Nubian, Saanen and Majorera.